Trevi Fountain in Rome

To visit Rome and not see the Trevi Fountain? Unthinkable! You need to pronounce not in the French manner, but like Italians who love their landmark: de Trevi. Then they will accept the foreigner as their own. Getting there is easy. From Spagna metro station, past the Colosseum - 20 minutes walk. Tourists are drawn to the popular Piazza di Trevi in ​​live streams, just like countless hordes of builders once pulled water here through pipes. But in order.

History

Already under the emperor of Rome, the splendid Augustus (ruled from the 30s BC), the capital of the world was experiencing a shortage of water. The project of diverting the waters of the Alps was daring and grandiose. They gouged the gutters, lifted them to the majestic aqueducts, built underground water tunnels for the city sewage system. The ancient Roman drinking water supply system serves to this day - safe and sound. The water of de Trevi is still the same, alpine. Gauls and Goths during a raid in the 4th century destroyed aqueducts, including the Aqua Virgo - that was the name of the artery that fed the square fountain.

The fountain was restored only two centuries later. It would have stood as a flowing reservoir for the needs of the townspeople, if not for the ambitions of Pope Urban VlII. The ruler commissioned the best architect and sculptor Bernini to build a palace fountain. The first sketch dates from 1640. Suddenly dad died. But the idea was picked up by Clement Xll. At that time, Poli's palace was already on the square. The ensemble of sculptures, streams of water was subordinated to the facade of the palace, creating a semblance of a dynamic theatrical action with rich decoration. The concept is credited to the Portuguese architect Nicolo Salvi. But the sources indicate not the first place in the ongoing competition, but only about the approval.

Building

From 1732 to 1762 a miracle was created. The Roman architect Alessandro Galilei won the Papal competition. He headed the work. Salvi did not live to see the launch of the fountain for 10 years, but the final work was carried out by his friend and associate Petro Bracci. Bernini's successor and student, the sculptor Carlo Fontano, sculpted the main figure of the complex - marble Neptune, placing it on a shell that emerged from the waters. Like a chariot, the bowl of the shell is pulled by the hippocams - half a fish, half a horse. Hippocams are held by the bit by trumpeting newts - children of Neptune and Aphrodite.

Architecture

The allegorical story is continued with bas-reliefs, and the flourishing baroque system - with niches, columns and an apse behind the main sculpture. I had to completely rebuild the portal of Poli's palace, raise the pediment. A real makeover for the sake of a fountain. In the stone on the bas-relief, the legend about the girl is retelling - the one who showed the soldiers of August a mountain spring (hence the name - Aqua Virgo, that is, “the water of the virgin”). Below the bas-reliefs are majestic female figures - "Health", "Abundance". The four columns at the apse symbolize the seasons.

The pool bowl stretches across the entire width of the palazzo - 49 meters. The height of the architectural complex is 26.3 m. Even higher is the pediment, immersed in papal heraldry carved from Carrara marble. The property of Carrara stone is to shine through in almost the same way as amber. Two small trickles at the fountain border are used, as in the old days, to quench their thirst. The trickles are called “lovers”: they are crossed and are considered a pheromone agent. The modern night illumination is designed in such a way that the water in the dark glows like an azure wave under the sun. There are as many tourists here at night as at noon. They are located behind the fence, it is no longer possible to approach the parapet.

Origin of name. What syllable should be stressed?

The origin of the name of the majestic Fontana di Trevi has two variations, and no one knows which one is true. The first, especially popular version, says: the fountain got its name from the fact that it is located in a square, near which three large streets of Rome connect. The fact is that Latin experts say: the Italian trevi is nothing more than a modified Latin trivium - "three way".

According to the second version, the fountain is named after the young girl Trivia, who pointed to the spring. This legend is reflected in one of the bas-reliefs of the fountain. More details about the bas-relief and the legend will be discussed a little later. Often, Russian-speaking tourists get lost when it is necessary to clarify the road to the fountain. Which option is correct: Trevi or Trevi? Answer: the first variant of stress is correct. Don't worry about forgetting, any native Italian will correct you with a good-natured smile if you miss the pronunciation.

Composition

The royal façade of the palace and the architecture of the fountain complement each other, giving the former elegance and the latter even more grandeur. The spectacular fountain composition reflects an antique scene made in stone. When looking at the source, the first thing that catches the eye is the regal figure of Neptune. God with a formidable look sits in his chariot-shell and points in the direction of the source. Without the traditional trident, you will not immediately recognize it. However, the fact that it is Neptune is evidenced by the harnessed winged sea horses and the tritons that govern them.

During the construction of the Trevi Fountain, it was possible to amazingly vividly convey power and movement in stone sculptures, the aspiration to reach great water. Rustling jets of water gracefully flow down the statues, falling on the stones, they form a sound similar to the "whisper" of coastal waves. In niches along the edges of the central statue of Neptune, there are female sculptures, and above them are picture bas-reliefs. On the left is the goddess of abundance, the bas-relief above her is a picture where the consul Agrippa approves the aqueduct project.

On the right is the goddess of health, above her head is a picture: a young girl orients Roman soldiers to a spring. Subsequently, an aqueduct was drawn from it, directing water to Rome. The aqueduct and the spring came to be called "virgin waters" (Acqua Vergine).

The Trevi Fountain is extraordinarily beautiful at night. When it gets dark, light bulbs are turned on, unobtrusively illuminating the water and the sculptural composition. The combination of fountain architecture and soft lighting creates the impression of a fairy tale. Inevitably, you begin to believe in the magic of the source and the legends and beliefs attributed to it. In addition, if you want to take a dip in the fountain, you can do it for only 200 €. It is in this amount that the fine for this innocent prank is estimated.

Legends

One of the beliefs says: if you turn your back to the source and throw 1 coin into it, you will certainly return to Rome, 2 - to the meeting of your soul mate, 3 - to be soon married, 4 - to wealth. Travelers' generous "donation" goes to charity.

According to another legend, if the lovers drink water from two tubes placed on the right side of the fountain (landmark: a stone hat resting on a rock), they will find eternal harmony and happiness, their love for each other will never fade away.

Interesting Facts

Not all stones of the facade and plinths of the statues are marble. The smooth stone is shaded with spongy travertine. A beautiful mineral was mined in the mountains by the Latins. They found him not only among the rocks, but also in the grottoes - there he hung like stalactites. Sometimes travertine grottoes open with the ebb. Caves open on the Mediterranean coast. Therefore, the so-called Tiburian stone (travertine) had a mystical meaning among the Romans, they were associated with the forces of the underwater world.

The medieval inhabitants of Italy did not manage to repeat the feat of the great Romans: for new stone pipes for supplying fresh water and removing used water, it would be necessary to build the same gutters: on a non-eroded binder - that is, cement. Palazzo of the time of Bernini was built on a mortar with the addition of eggs. Not suitable for pipes. Cement was rediscovered later, in the 19th century. The Romans used slave labor to extract volcanic ash.It was he who was the binder. Digs, caves and catacombs were filled up, and beautiful structures were built in their place. They were mined right near Rome. But underground waters eroded the foundation of the city so much that the capital of Italy is compared to a crust of Roquefort cheese - it is about to begin to sink. Walking excursions are made to the cleared catacombs and caves.

The well-known Carrara marble used for de Trevi's sculptures began to be mined back in the time of Julius Caesar. This stone was used to create the Arc de Triomphe, the famous Pantheon, Trajan's Column. Michelangelo sculpted from it. On the site of Mount Carrara under the Emperor Caesar, a hundred-meter cliff rose. Now on the site of the cliff there is a large quarry. The mountain was cut down, but how beautiful the Eternal City is!

Reconstruction

The last large-scale reconstruction was carried out a hundred years ago. The noble inhabitants of Rome and visitors were allowed to look into the face of Neptune after they climbed 26 m, passed through the tall forests.

1998 year. The water bowl was washed in the most thorough way, then it was equipped with recirculating (return) pumps with filters. The devices are self-cleaning.

From January 2013 to 2015, the Fendi fashion house sponsors the Ocean and donates € 2.2 million, 100 LED backlights, and a 20-month holiday with wellness cleaning. The abnormal frosts of the winter of 2017 tore apart several pipes of the fountain, which shocked the employees of the mayor's office: they did not turn off the de Trevi streams in the middle of winter! The abnormal shutdown prevented a major accident and demonstrated the vulnerability of the God of the Seas in low temperatures.

Where is it and how to get there

The fountain is located in Piazza di Trevi. There are three ways to reach the square: on foot, by public transport and by taxi. If using the metro, you will need line A; you can get off at the Spagna or Barberini station. After that, you will have a walk directly to the fountain.

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Video: How money is collected at the Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain on the map